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Best American Wines $15 & Under: Sauvignon Blanc

2006 Bernardus Monterey County Sauvignon Blanc ($15)

One of the best producers in California’s Carmel Valley, Bernardus makes top-quality reds (its flagship Marinus Cabernet blend is well worth tracking down) along with this tart, lively Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a svelte white with the scent of fresh-cut grass.

2006 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc ($12)

Sonoma County’s Geyser Peak has made a specialty of Sauvignon Blanc, and that focus pays off here in this lively white’s ripe grapefruit and citrus-zest notes.

2006 The Brander Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($15)

Fred Brander has been specializing in Sauvignon Blanc for three decades, making him one of the pioneering winemakers in California’s Santa Ynez Valley. Brander makes several terrific higher-end Sauvignon Blanc cuvées, but this spicy basic bottling—to which he adds a portion of Pinot Blanc and Riesling for complexity—gives a fine idea of his style.

Winemaker Rick Sayre ferments a small percentage of this firm Sauvignon Blanc in oak barrels. This helps add a little bit of lushness to the crisp texture and tart fruit.

2006 Morgan Sauvignon Blanc ($15)

This Monterey-area producer is best known for its complex Pinot Noirs (as well as a fine unoaked Chardonnay, called Metallico—a perennial good deal, but at $22 a little too pricey for this column). Morgan’s lively Sauvignon Blanc deserves more attention, though. A small percentage of Sémillon in the blend helps boost its richness; the rest is largely Sauvignon Musqué, an aromatic clone of the traditional Sauvignon Blanc grape.